


The Forgotten Blood

by afanesyevo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action, Altean Lotor, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Enemies to Allies, First Meetings, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Half-breeds, Hate to Emphaty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 04:18:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13849941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afanesyevo/pseuds/afanesyevo
Summary: Keith is used to being far away from his family, team... But he is not used being this close to the enemy unless there are swords involved. In the end are they so different. Two loners without any memories of a family. Two half-breeds who are used to being abandoned.





	The Forgotten Blood

**Author's Note:**

> I planned to post my first Voltron fanfiction after Season 5, it's a little late but I still can't watch the new season so the story takes place just where we left it in season 4. Thank you so much if you are reading this and making me know you read. It will mean so much because my first language is not English. Hope you enjoy.

    The pain in his body was tolerable.  
Their paladin training consists of learning to continue overlooking the pain, learning to survive in the war. They didn't have time to stop due to pain. No, they had a universe to save. They were in a war. So the paladins were used to feel pain. None of them would stop only with the ache of their ribs or burn in their dorso. Even the pain he felt in his hand during his fight with the druid was more dreadful than now.  
    He didn't remember what caused it. It could have been one of the robots or druids even the witch herself. It was hard to decide but he remembered his friends were in a baffling clash. He remembered he ran away from the BOM to help them but then drew apart from them.  
    Of course, Keith was announced of the paladin's new mission. For the most part, Keith literally dozed off from the point because of the sleepless nights he had.    But even though they were supposed to be with him for Lotor's first - and hopefully last, Keith added, if Kolivan could hold Keith.- intromission. Actually, the mission was for leading Lotor on a deserted planet to interrogate him. As they learned to never misprize Lotor from hard experiences. However, in the end, the castles detectors perceived a signal from a Galra base, later paladins found out a hazardous weapon places in the base. From the point Keith didn't doze off, he heard that that weapon was a biological weapon for the planet habitants who disobeyed Galrans. As their duty to the universe - Keith rolled his eyes as princesses British like accent- they went to take it in the time that happened to be Lotor's first intromission. We cannot risk this weapon to be in the hands of Galra, said Allura through communicators. We need to deport to Epsilon Ardinan immediately. Besides we trust you and Kolivan with the prince. As much as I do not like to leave him alone with you. Then she smiled apologetically at him. I am so sorry Keith. We all wished to be there. Maybe next time.  
    Then she was off, taking away the blue lights from the castle, leaving him with the purple background of the Blade's Base.  
    Not that he was expecting them to come, he knew what he chose when he joined the blade.  
    But he... Keith never expected it to be so vacant.  
    There were none of the shows with Allura and mice, training with Coran and Shiro or the sounds of Pidge and Hunk happily chattering about science and the laughter of Lance. Even though he pretended to hate all of them, some part of him knew. Knew the meaning of the teary smiled formed on his face every time he thought of them.  
    Now he was all about who will survive and who will transfer the knowledge.  
As long as it is for the mission your death is tolerable.  
    Or as long as you are not saved.  
    With that fact, Blades training brought the same thing.  
    Tolerate the pain.  
And Keith tried, he really tried but as he got the hit, he got separated from his friends unconsciously. They needed his help. Keith remembered an image of them. Pidge was leaning on Hunk, struggling to keep up.In front of them was Lance, he was keeping the soldiers away from them. Shiro was imposed of Haggar's magic which was the scariest thing Keith ever had to watch. Allura was trying to find a solution but it was not easy with the hurt she bore and soldiers coming towards her. None of them knew the weapon was protected by Haggar and druids. None of them guessed that Kieth would quit the Blades mission too. But when he passed out while trying to help Lance, it didn't matter how relieved his team was. After that, he only remembered someone holding him and making him run. So there he was. In another room completely away from his friends, he didn't know who saved him, he just wished... actually he wasn't sure what he wished.  
    Keith clenched his fists and tried to get up on his feet. Failed miserably when he hit to floor again.  
    "Slow down, warrior." A guttural voice behind him protested. "The hit was a pretty good one."  
    Keith couldn't understand who was speaking. All the sounds were murky just like his eyesight. Yes, the pain in his body was tolerable but the one in his head was not. He could not feel his body anymore. If anyone tried to attack him right now he would be defenseless still he wouldn't even feel any hits at all. His vision was a blur and throat dry.  
    He wanted to get up, he wanted to speak but the numbness in his brain was taking all his willpower.  
    Still, Keith was not known as a backoff. With the background noises of someone clashing with the Galrans, Keith gave all of his energy to his legs. As he moved crawling, his vision improved slightly. With every move forward, he felt a little bit more okay.

    Standing still would increase the pain. His body was aching for action.  
He could see the escape pod and the starboard door. Only a little more, he could go back to his friends. Only a little...  
    The voice shouted again.  
"Keith you have to move!"  
    The words which didn't have any meaning in the first slowly queued up. His ears wavered as they perceived coming actions.  
    "NOW!"  
Keith rolled his body to left. The shots missed him by millimeters. The airlock was out of his reach now but he didn't stop to care. He heard fast footsteps and robotic hands held him by his collar. He felt a slight crack from his helmet. The robot lifted him from the ground. In a split of a second, there were only red glowy eyes in Keith's vision. His breather started to cease and the ache deep in his brain followed it. As the robot pushed him to the wall, he felt a gun under his chin. The gun clicked. "Prisoner mode. Inac..." Robotic voice ended with Keith's kick. Robot lost its balance backward but Keith was faster than it. Before it had time to take the position, Keith sliced it into two pieces. His ears flickered again and he dodged to right. The sound of missed shots echoed through his ears. When Keith's eyes found the right direction, he saw more soldiers coming towards him. They surrounded him.  
    "Prisoner mode.Inactive!"  
    Robots pointed their guns at him, Keith waited. He could see behind them the other guy was still fighting. He captured the guns loading sound, just before they were fired, he bent down and kicked a robots leg. It fell down, firing aimlessly. Soldiers regressed for a second. Keith moved forward. Let out his lasso then tied another robot's legs down. As he got back on his feet, the robot resisted him. Keith stumbled backward. He ran but took a hit from a coming Galran. Keith reeled but still managed to block other moves from robots. The former red paladin swung his knife and stabbed the robot. Then he used it as a shield and continued to run around them. The lasso thickened under his fingers. All soldiers were gathered at once and tied up closely. They still tried to shoot him but ended up shooting one another in their knotted situations.  
    "Well, I would love to run for help but it appears to me you don't need any."  
Keith turned to see who was talking, only to meet with yet another masked Blade member.  
    So Kolivan made one of the members chase him.  
    _Great_ , Keith thought, _seriously_ _great_.  
His hands went back to put on his mask then realized the mechanism was damaged. He was face to face with the member who just stood there, without any movements. He could bet that the face of the Blade would be full of curiosity. Probably won't be anything like his face because he can already feel it was heating up. Without adrenaline, his energy drained from his body and all his sense organs started to tingle. He could hear the Blades calm breathes, smell the dangerous vibrations coming from him.    He could see the world was vibrating around him. The purple lights and ceiling... Didn't it rotate before? Has it stopped when they left Earth and now waiting for them impatiently? Then why was it rotating now? They didn't come back, probably will never come back.      Time shouldn' be stopped for them.  
    "Open the airlock," Keith said semi-unconscious. " And hold on somewhere.  
    A hot drop of fluid fall from his mouth. The members head tilted to the direction his blood fall. It was nearly black.  
Like the last thing, he will remember before his head will hit to ground. The rest happened the same. Someone held him up and ran. Then there was this force pulling them to the endless absence.  
    The last image on his mind was worried eyes slowly fading into the black.  
______________________

    Keith came to his senses not so long after, being shaken by someone. Even before he could fully open his eyes, he noticed he was in an entirely different place. The familiar Galra scent was unchanged but the metal scent of the spaceship was more intense and the off-gassing equipment was more discernible; so there was a small room for all these odors, they were in an escape pod.  
    "Hey warrior, you have to wake up!"  
Keith struggled to remember who was talking or shaking him, then realized it was the BOM member. His voice sounded more clear as Keith could concentrate on more things than pain now. But the voice itself made him unguarded. It was flat but confident. The same husky voice he listened to more than he wanted to in last two days.  
Lotor.  
    Keith's eyes snapped open, only to meet with dark blue ones. As Lotor stopped shaking him, he finally felt the anger growing in him. How could that quiznacking Prince be here? It was so tempting, just punching or stabbing him right now. But Keith had to stay calm. He couldn't let Lotor see any of the emotions fighting over how to stab or kick him. At this point, there were only two of them Keith supposed and with him being unarmed and semi-conscious, Lotor had the advantage. Keith could be impulsive, he knew but he wasn't stupid. His anger would be last to help anything. Even it was hard for him to hold still, Keith managed by thinking how Lotor played with them like a cat playing with the mice.  
    He would never ever let Lotor make him lose control. Not again.  
    "Not a reaction huh?" Lotor spoke and Keith felt slightly happy with his achievement. The Prince stand up and walk through to the pilot chair. Keith straightened up a bit from the position he was lying but he couldn't sit properly when he pinpoint the exact place the pain came from. He sighed defeatedly, it was going to take weeks to heal broken ribs.  
    Meanwhile, Lotor was taking out his armors breast place and plackart. Keith couldn't see his face when he started to talk again.  
    "I was informed you would be ...uh.. more intense..."  
    He spoke for a bit too but Keith didn't pay attention to words. By the point the Prince stand without the top of his armor, Keith could see the scars surrounding his dorso. From his neck to waistline. Keith wondered what could have happened to hurt Zarkon's son? It was a dangerous question to ask, a tricky one. Still, Keith couldn't help but wonder.  
    "If you want a reaction that much..." Keith started, " I can ask something." His voice came out hoarse. " Why aren't you in your shitty arrogant prince attitude today?"  
    Lotor put on a black garment before looking at him. " Even if I don't know what shitty means, I'm tired right now. I can be that later."  
    "Your manipulative behavior too? Cause you cant make it work another time."  
    "Probably." Lotor shrugged and bend down to sit in front of Keith. Keith didn't move, he was nervous inside. Any wrong could change everything. It was the first time he was face to face to Lotor and the whole situation was already too complicated. Lotor was fully in front of him, without a full armor or helmet, without talking from communicators. The smell of dangerous vibrations was decreasing gradually. Sitting like that, legs unfolded, palms covering his knees, Lotor's smell was more than alike.  
    "I want you to understand something."      Lotor started after a few seconds. " We are not in the Lion Castle or the Blade base anymore. Neither you are still the Black Paladin who chased me nor I am the commander was used to be. We are in an escape pod due to bad circumstances. We needed to get out of there..." Seeing the worried expression on Keith's face Lotor explained. "It's not really my concern but your friends are safe." Before making sure Keith was relieved he add up. " But we are both aware that we are not where we used to be anymore."  
    "Why are you telling me this? Wouldnt killing me and making a show of it be more valuable to your plans?  
    "I cannot argue with that actually."  
    "But if you wanted to kill me you would have done it by now."  
    Lotor leaned forward slightly. " I am not here as the Zarkons son. Far more than that..."  
    Keith's nose crinkled, Lotor wasn't lying, he could feel that.  
    "I am here as another half-breed, Keith."  
    His eyes opened in shock, the prince never broke eye contact. It was strange. Lotor didn't have the full yellow eyes like the most Galra. It was understandable, considering what he said.  
    So a half-breed, huh? Keith thought. Zarkon had a half-breed son. Like... Like me.  
    Which brought a new question. How did Lotor know about him? Question answered itself. Everyone smart enough would figure it out by the human face wandering around the Blades.  
    "In the end, we are not so different are we?"  
"Well, I'm not trying to get to my father's place to continue the terror."  
Lotor just shrugged. "You don't know me that much, kid. I'm not my father."  
    There was something about his attitude. He was comfortable, relieved, sincere. Even when talking about his issued father. Keith was no expert on feelings but even he can understand when someone was lying to his face or faking their concerns. He had dealt with them too much back on Earth. But surprisingly, Lotor seemed at ease, leaning his back to the pilot chair, his hair tied effortlessly.     Of course, this whole thing could be Lotor's plans to seem trustworthy. Maybe he was that dam good at lying. Keith didn't let himself loose. Not now. Not with Lotor.  
    Keith glared at him. " You don't know me either."  
    "Right but we do know one thing. So let's have a deal."  
"Not happening!"  
"It's not like that warrior. Remember, we are not so different?"  
    Keith didn't answer. Lotor looked down disappointedly.  
"I said its not like that.Listen, you are just going to answer one question and I will explain everything. But I need that one answer."  
    Keith straightened his back uncomfortable. "Nope, not happen..."  
"Do you feel pain?"  
"What?"  
"Do you feel pain?"  
"Why?"  
    That was odd and not something Keith understood. What were Lotor's intentions by asking a question like that?  
"Is it because of your smallish human brain that you produce slowly?"  
"Say whatever you want to say." Keith huffed, glaring.  
    For the first time, Lotor lost his balanced voice.  
"For vresalla's sake, its a simple question!"  
"Yes, I do!" Keith yelled back.  
"What?"  
"Yes, I do feel pain. Is it because of your smallish Altean brain that you don't understand me?"  
    And again, for the first time, Lotor looked taken back.  
"Altean? What the verraq are you talking about?"  
    Keith pointed to his face.  
"Your skin is losing its color and well, your Alteans markings showed up."  
    Lotor's hands went to his face that was genuinely experiencing a new form of emotion that Keith couldn't explain.  
    "Haggar's magic. That witch affected me too." Lotor murmured to himself. But       Keith didn't have any time for his bullshit.  
    "Explain. I answered. Now it's your turn."  
Lotor's expression was troubled still he started slowly.  
   B"When you left the mission, I followed you because I wanted to see how you cope without other Galrans. But when you came here," Lotor paced his breathing. "You got hit by Haggar's magic and... ıt affected your genes. A high density of quintessence tends to do that."  
    Keith interrupted. "But what had it done?"  
    "You didn't realize?"  
Keith shooked his head tiredly, it was hard proceeding everything.  
    "Your sense organs improved," Lotor spoke rather enthusiastically. "That's why you trusted my words. Because I wasn't pervading any scent that made you uncomfortable. That how Galrans work. We have intense emotions and intense comebacks for that emotions. If I was lying without any effort to hide it, you would've smelled it."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Keith, we are literally on power saving mode in this pod, It's dark. But you didn't even notice that. In reverse, you saw my markings very well. This is what happens with Haggard magic. It speeds up your genes. I am half-Altean and look what it's doing to me. I got affected near you. My cells are working so fast that to cope they are returning to their original state. That's the only way they can take the damage the least. Your mother genes are your original genes, Keith."  
    His eyes opened wide. "So you're telling me...?"  
    Lotor took out a small piece of shattered mirror out of his packs. "Look at yourself." And Keith did.  
    Even though his trembling hands, aching body, Keith looked at his reflection. He didn't see himself.  
    There was a Galran, with big hairy ears, dark purple skin, and bleeding lips. When he saw his reflection he met with someone else with cold yellow eyes.  
Keith shrieked back, his dorso hit the wall. Mirror fell down from his fingers. Cracked as it crashed to the ground.  
A small voice of despair was about to come from his black lips but he prevented it with his hands. Not now. Not with Lotor.  
    How? He whispered to himself.      Howhowhowhowhow...  
    His hands went from his ears to his cheeks. They were warming up with the tear running down.  
    No! His mind shouted. Nononononono...  
    Not in front of enemy Keith. Not in front of him.  
    Not now. Not with Lotor.  
In, he remembered Shiro said once, in front of a window which was a screen to a horrible hurricane.  
And out, continued Lance's memory when he was struggling to become a leader.  
In, out, ın, out. But none of the voices of his family helped. It made everything worse.  
  _Great, Keith! Was this a time to lose control? What will Lotor see now more than a vulnerable child?_  
What will Allura see more than an enemy?  
    Keith held his upper arms with his both hands. He can't let himself to seem weaker. Not now.  
    So he let the tears fell but hold his body still. Eventually, they stopped. Lotor started moving and come closer to put his hand on Keith's shoulder. He was inexperienced with comfort. After a few awkward seconds, he took it back, struggled a bit to move it forward or backward. Eventually, he was back to his place too.  
    "It hurts I know. The first contact with magic is so powerful. The pain in your brain is so bad, you cant even feel the ache in your body. And it's even more powerful for a human body. Believe me, Keith, I know."  
    "How?  
Lotor answered emotionless.  
    "I was the first test subject."  
The air inside the small pod became heavier. Like a bomb, a little fire, it could explode. Keith didn't know what to say.    He wasn't good at this. Even with his friends.  
    This man, this man was his enemy.  
An enemy with a life just like Keith. Without anyone who cared for him.  
Keith didn't feel sorry for him. Maybe it was the punishment Lotor got even before his mistakes.  
    A preventable punishment for preventable mistakes.  
    "Look at us," Keith said tired, almost weakly. Lotors purple signs were becoming more clear as his skin was turning dark brown. "What are we now? We are not what we used to be are we?"  
    Lotor answered quietly. "No."  
He was not talking about their genetic codes and Lotor knew it. Keith reached out to put his hand on Lotor's shoulder.    "But we will figure things out."  
    Lotor cracked a smile: regretful but still a real one, formed genuinely.  
    "This is what half-breeds do."


End file.
